Hal finally man’s up as the war heats up across the board.
What They Say:
FLASH QUESTION: Will he be able to fly fast enough to escape his fate and defeat the Amazons?
The Review:
The opening salvo for the Hal Jordan miniseries was the weakest of the offerings as even the Canterbury Cricket was a lot more entertaining. The main issue is that while things did change, the majority of it did not and it left us feeling like we were seeing the origin story we’ve seen so many times with the backdrop set to the current war was all. It did mix things up a touch at the end wit the idea that Hal doesn’t become a Green Lantern (right away?) since Abin Sur lived and he was responsible for it. That action may have pushed him further off course from where his life should be, but it raised his profile in the country as a hero and that’s made him a recognizable persona, something that the government needs now that Steve Trevor is dead. And the test pilot who is a son of a fallen test pilot himself? Pure American to be sure.
The arc of this issue deals with the way Hal is coping with events since the discovery and subsequent breakout of Abin Sur so that he can serve rather than be dissected. That has Hal pulling recon duty along the coast, a necessity now that the borders are so easily crossed due to the Atlanteans should they decide to get involve, but it’s not them that’s the real worry. It’s the Amazons as they’ve launched anew attack on the Ferris facility where they’re attempting to blend Green Lantern tech into the test planes they have. Since it would give them an advantage at least against Diana and her invisible jets, it’s something that’s going to get attacked and hard.
Like the first issue, it has a bit of a goofy feel to it in its execution. That issue had a shark leaping out of the water to attack a low flying jet. This one has the Amazons starting off well but then falling back, but not without dropping a giant two headed beast to the ground to cause trouble for everyone as it attempts to wreck the Ferris buildings. It’s just so… out of character for the Amazons as they haven’t shown anything like that in any of the other Flashpoint books and it just looks silly. It does create an opportunity for Hal though to save the day, and thereby cement his position even more, since it’s such a hugely photographic moment and a look of victory that’s needed in every war to motivate people.
Digital Notes:
This digital edition of the Hal Jordan from Comixology features just the first printing cover of the issue with no additional extras included in the book.
In Summary:
With this series, Hal suffers the same problems that Barry did in Flash: Rebirth. He’s just a bit of a jerk that’s hard to connect with and the only reason we do on any level is because of years of knowledge of who he is elsewhere. There’s not much to like or rally behind here with Hal, but he is showing some signs of growing up and that does help ease it a bit. But in the end, I still don’t care for him and Carol doesn’t come off well either. There’s nobody worth liking here overall outside of Abin Sur himself, and that’s not saying much considering he comes off as a bit of a jerk in his own miniseries. Considering how popular the Green Lantern books are in the mainline universe, they’re being poorly executed and written here in the Flashpoint storyline.
Grade: C-
